Fight over girl leaves Brooklyn teen clinging to life

July 10, 2012 8:18:04 AM PDT

Eyewitness News

NEW YORK --

A 14-year-old boy is clinging to life after he was shot in the head in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn late Wednesday.

Police say the boy, identified as Akeal Christopher, was shot in the back of the head on Cornelia Street just after 11 p.m. Witnesses say they heard at least four or five shots, and the bullet reportedly went straight through and exited out his forehead.

"I just heard four pops, and then just screaming," eyewitness Guadalupe Estrella said. "It seemed like he had a bullet hole right between the eyes. Right between the eyes."

Estrella, a certified EMT, ran from her home down the block and tried to save Christopher with CPR. She also cleared his airway, using her gold ring to keep his mouth open while giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and performing chest compressions.

Christopher was rushed to Brookdale Hospital in very critical condition. He reportedly underwent surgery overnight.

Investigators are looking into whether the shooting was the culmination of an earlier dispute with another person over a girl.

Police say Christopher had just left a party with seven friends when they were approached by two other teens wearing hoodies. They asked the group about the girl and what gang they belonged to. That's when Christopher and his friends ran away scared and gunshots rang out.

"A kid said my brother's been shot," a witness said. "He was crying, he was emotional. One of them, I guess the kid's mother, she was also emotional."

Christopher apparently graduated from middle school earlier in the week.